Objectives: Atmospheric aerosol climate manipulation has been undertaken since at least the beginning of the 21st century, with increasing frequency and duration, without public discussion, and without disclosure of the particulate matter composition being placed into the air we breathe. Nor have the effects of this activity on biota including humans been discussed. Forensic evidence published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature is consistent with coal fly ash (CFA), the toxic waste-product of coal-burning, being the main undisclosed geoengineering-particulate. The objective of this paper is to provide additional evidence that the particulate matter aerosolized in the atmosphere during geoengineering activities is coal fly ash and to consider the concomitant potential consequences of contaminating the biosphere with mercury.

Methods: Inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) was used to investigate evidence bearing on the composition of geoengineering material.

Results: Analyses of rainwater and snow provide further evidence that coal fly ash is the primary component dispersed in the atmosphere for geoengineering purposes. Consequently, this near-daily, near-global climate manipulation activity poses a previously unrecognized risk for environmental mercury contamination by deliberately aerosolized CFA that contains mercury in variable amounts (Table 1) ranging as high as 2 µg/g.

Conclusion: Despite strengthened mercury emission regulations, mercury measured in rainwater is increasing. Since it is known that the upper troposphere contains oxidized, particle-bound mercury, it is likely that covert aerosolized coal fly ash sprayed into this region is a major source of mercury pollution. Mercury affects multiple systems in the body, potentially causing neurological, cardiovascular, genitourinary, reproductive, immunological, and even genetic disease. Because atmospheric climate manipulation using coal-fly-ash-based aerosols represents a potential globally pervasive environmental-source of this toxic element, it must be recognized and appropriate steps taken to halt climate geoengineering.